Qatar Launches Climate Research Center

Can a country that ranks high on the carbon emissions list become a leading center of climate research? Qatar believes so. This year’s host of the COP18 Summit--the first such UN event ever to be held in the Middle East--will link with a German research institute to study the impacts of climate change and how it could affect society, the environment and the global economy.

The Qatar Foundation will team up with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) to launch a Center for Climate Research in Doha. The timing is prescient: on November 26 Doha will be teaming with a minimum of 17,000 delegates working to solve some of the most pressing challenges confronting the planet. Previous meetings in the past ended with few tangible accomplishments--and considering all the skepticism with which Qatar has dealt with its hosting of several high-profile international events, COP18 must leave a lasting legacy in this corner of the Gulf.

A research center focused on studying the effects of climate change would be one answer. Qatar’s wealth is key to attracting talent from all over the world; first for its oil and natural gas industry, and second, to lead the Gulf region towards a post-fossil fuels future. Despite all the naysayers, Qatar may surprise the rest of the world with such forward thinking initiatives such as this one.